2026 General Election: November 3, 2026. New info launches early October.
CABARRUS
COUNTY
Photos: Michael A. Anderson Photography
Federal
U.S. Senate
All North Carolina voters will see four candidates on the 2026 general election ballot. U.S. Senators serve six-year terms. One of North Carolina's two U.S. Senate seats is up for election this year.
U.S. House of Representatives
U.S. House of Representatives members are elected every two years. Cabarrus County falls into two U.S. House districts. Voters will see one race on their ballot based on where they are registered.
State
N.C. General Assembly
The entire North Carolina state legislature (officially the General Assembly which includes both N.C. Senate and N.C. House of Representatives) is up for election every two years. All offices will be on the ballot in the general election in November but voters will only see one race for the N.C. Senate and N.C. House based on where they are registered. The key roles of the General Assembly are to determine the state tax rate, determine the state’s budget and create state laws.
N.C. Senate Map
N.C. House Map
N.C. Statewide Judicial Offices
The terms for the N.C. Supreme Court and the N.C. Appeals Court are eight years. They are staggered terms; one of the seven state Supreme Court seats and three of the 15 state Appeals Court are up for election in 2026. North Carolina voters will see all 4 of these races below on their ballot.
N.C. Supreme Court
N.C. Court of Appeals
Municipal
Cabarrus Local Government Roles
Cabarrus County voters will select members of the county's Board of Commissioners and Board of Education in 2026.
Other Roles and Items
This ballot will also have Soil and Water Conservation District Supervisors as well as several bonds.
What is a primary?
A primary election is a “run-off” where contestants from one political party compete. The winner of a primary will be on the ballot for the general election. If there is only one contestant from a political party running, there will not be a primary for that party for that race.
Can anyone vote in a primary?
North Carolina has partisan primaries that are open to unaffiliated voters. Any registered Democratic, Republican or unaffiliated voter can vote in this North Carolina primary. Specifically, registered Republicans and registered Democrats can only vote in their party’s primary. Unaffiliated voters can select which primary they want to vote in. That said, other voters registered with third parties (e.g. Libertarian, Green Party, No Labels) are not eligible to vote in this primary.
Why is voting in primaries important?
In general, voter participation rates for primaries are much lower than for general elections. On average across North Carolina, fewer than 20% of voters voted in the last midterm primary in 2022. When a minority of voters vote, the voice of a community or region is not reflected in results. Furthermore, because certain regions are heavily skewed toward a single political party, the only meaningful choice that voters have to hold elected officials to account is during primaries.
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